Sahelian kingdoms facts for kids

The Sahelian kingdoms were powerful empires that grew in the Sahel region of Africa. The Sahel is a long strip of grasslands just south of the Sahara Desert. These kingdoms were important from the 8th century to the 19th century. They became rich by controlling the busy trade routes that crossed the desert.

Their power came from having large animals like camels and horses. These animals were fast and strong, helping the kingdoms control their big territories and fight battles. Even though they were powerful, many cities within these empires had a lot of freedom. The kingdoms couldn't easily expand south into the forest areas because the horses and camels couldn't survive the diseases there, and mounted warriors weren't useful in thick forests.

What Were the Sahelian Kingdoms?

The Sahelian kingdoms were well-organized states with big cities and towns. Some areas were less organized, with people living in smaller, spread-out groups. People in these kingdoms were very busy. They farmed, raised animals, hunted, fished, and made things like metal goods, clothes, and pottery. They traveled along rivers and lakes, trading goods both nearby and far away. They even had their own types of money!

A Journey Through Time: Major Sahel Empires

Many important empires rose and fell in the Sahel region over hundreds of years.

The Ghana Empire (Around 3rd to 13th Century)

The first major kingdom in this area was the Ghana Empire. It started around the 3rd century in what is now Senegal and Mauritania. Ghana became very wealthy because it controlled the trade routes that crossed the Sahara Desert. This trade became much easier after camels were brought to the western Sahel around the 3rd century AD. Ghana was the first to benefit from these pack animals, which were used by traders. The Ghana Empire was very powerful in the region for about 1,000 years. During this time, smaller states like Takrur (to the west), the Malinke kingdom of Mali (to the south), and the Songhai (around Gao to the east) also existed.

The Mali Empire (After 1235)

After the Ghana Empire fell due to invasions, the Mali Empire rose to power around 1235. It was located on the Niger River in what is now Niger and Mali. The Mali Empire traded with the Bono state far to the south. It was strongest in the 1350s, but by 1400, it started losing control over some of its smaller states.

The Songhai Empire (1460s to 1901)

One of the most powerful states that grew out of the Mali Empire's decline was the Songhai Empire. It began to expand quickly under King Sonni Ali in the 1460s. By 1500, it had grown to be the largest state in African history, stretching from Cameroon to the Maghreb (Northwest Africa). However, its territory became much smaller after an invasion by Morocco in 1591. The empire finally ended in 1901 when the French took over.

Kanem-Bornu and the Hausa Kingdoms

Far to the east, near Lake Chad, the state of Kanem-Bornu became very important in the central Sahel. It had started as Kanem in the 9th century. To its west, several loosely connected Hausa city-states also became powerful. These two states lived side-by-side, sometimes uneasily, but they were quite stable for a long time.

The Sokoto Caliphate (1810)

In 1810, the Sokoto Caliphate rose up and took control of the Hausa kingdoms, creating a more centralized state. The Sokoto Caliphate and Kanem-Bornu continued to exist for many years.

Images for kids

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  African states between 500 BCE and 1500 CE

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  The main slave trade routes in Africa during the Middle Ages.

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  Trade routes of the western Sahara Desert c. 1000 – 1500 Goldfields are indicated by light brown shading.

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  The Ghana Empire at its greatest extent c. 1050

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  The successor states to the Ghana Empire c. 1200

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  Influence of the Kanem Empire c. 1200

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  Extent of the Mali Empire c. 1350

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  Approximate extent of the Mali Empire, next to the Songhai Empire, c. 1350

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  Constituent states of the Wolof Empire.

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  Constituent states of the Wolof Empire c. 1400

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  Carte des peuplades du Sénégal de l'abbé Boilat (1853): an ethnic map of Senegal at the time of French colonialism. The pre-colonial states of Baol, Sine and Saloum are arrayed along the southwest coast, with the inland areas marked "Peuple Sérère".

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  The Songhai Empire c. 1500

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  Bornu Empire territory by 1500

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  The Mali Empire, the Songhai Empire and surrounding states, c. 1530

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  Map of the Pashalik of Timbuktu (yellow-striped) as part of the Saadi dynasty of Morocco (outlined black) within the Songhai Empire (outlined red), c. 1591

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  The Mali Empire and surrounding states, c. 1625

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  Senegambia c. 1707 Waalo marked as Re. D'Oualle in the upper left.

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  Bornu Empire and eastern Sahelian kingdoms c. 1750

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  The extent of the Bornu Empire, c. 1750

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  Shilluk Kingdom (yellow) and its neighbors, c. 1800

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  Bornu Empire in 1810

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  The Fulani Jihad States of West Africa, c. 1830

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  Sokoto Caliphate, 19th century

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  French West Africa (in green) after World War II, and other French possessions (in dark grey).

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  Major slave trading regions of West Africa, 15th–19th centuries

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  Depiction of the classical model of the triangular trade.

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  Depiction of the triangular trade of slaves, sugar, and rum with New England instead of Europe as the third corner.